Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that circulates in Ontario, most frequently in the fall and winter. It is spread from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing or having face-to-face contact. For most individuals, symptoms include runny nose, fever, coughing and wheezing, and loss of appetite, however RSV can lead to severe illness such as pneumonia in infants and older adults.

In Ontario, the RSV prevention program includes two products to help protect infants and high-risk children: monoclonal antibodies available to all infants and high-risk children under 2 years of age and a vaccine given during pregnancy for those delivering during the RSV season. The RSV prevention program also includes vaccines for adults 75 years and older and high-risk adults 60 to 74 years.